DAY6’s Subheadliner Performance At Rock Festival Deemed “Very Disappointing And Frustrating”
DAY6 performed as a sub-headliner act at the 2024 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival in Korea.
Their hour-long set, though, has been criticized as disappointing. Some clips and even a full performance video have circulated online, featuring subpar moments like instrumental mistakes, forgotten lyrics, and strained and off-pitch vocals.
Both Korean and international fans discussed the performance. A theqoo post garnered hundreds of comments clashing between those who excused it as a one-time below-average performance versus those who called the idol band for the lack of practice.
- “A band needs to sing AND play live. It is not possible to go on stage without practicing. I’m sure DAY6 also practiced, though. The performance is proof that this is where their skills are as of now, even with practice.”
- “My friends went to Pentaport and they were not happy, haha. At the festival, people tried to have fun. But the reviews were scathing… My friends used PTO to travel to Incheon from the suburbs, so they were extra disappointed.”
- “Forgetting the lyrics has become habitual.”
- “DAY6 isn’t all that good, TBH. They need to work harder to improve. People have certain expectations for a subheadliner band at a rock festival. Doesn’t matter that they’re an idol band.”
- “I know they’re usually better than this. They did not bring their best game.”
- “Some of the criticism saying DAY6 has never been good is a bit shocking. This band has been to multiple college festivals and concerts. People usually like their live performances… Pentaport was a one-time hiccup, obviously.”
- “IDK… DAY6 is usually good. But they do have their ups and downs. I wouldn’t criticize too easily.”
- “People can express disappointment and criticize the band if that’s how they felt. DAY6 is not the first idol group to get heat for underperforming. Just because DAY6 fans don’t want the bad rep doesn’t mean they can gaslight other people from offering constructive criticism.”
A Reddit post and discussion also mentioned DAY6’s skill set “regressing” and needing constructive criticism.
Comment
byu/AltMagoo from discussion
inday6
Comments under the YouTube video covering the performance in full agreed that the performance could have been better, including a stronger setlist better fit for a rock festival like Pentaport.
It’s clear DAY6 is an idol group, nothing more. The members need to see their own shortcomings and improve. Otherwise, they’ll just continued to be called idols rather than a band. I’m a fan of DAY6, though I never joined their official fandom or anything. But I like rock music and have set my phone’s ringtone to DAY6 songs since their debut. I liked their songs so much that I listened to every track on their new albums. I probably know their songs better than most fans do. I still have 71 selected DAY6 tracks on my phone playlist. I even went to their 2019 concert, and the slight lack of skills I noticed back then was laid bare at this year’s Pentaport, which makes me have a lot to say. Reading the comments here just makes me think even more…
If DAY6 aims to be a band rather than idol group, the members need to actively accept criticism from various rock communities and occasional negative comments. I don’t understand why fans are defending their lack of skill. Doesn’t matter if it’s due to poor health, military service, or member departures… If they’re professionals who live off performances, this level of stage performance shouldn’t be tolerated. The fans who keep coming up with this and that excuse to prevent the band from seeing their situation objectively are worse than people leaving the negative comments.
Any band lined up at Pentaport performing with this level would be heavily criticized by all online communities. Why? Because Pentaport is a paid festival, with relatively expensive tickets. If I’m paying to watch a performance and this is what I get, I have the right to leave a negative review. Think about when you find hair or a piece of plastic in your food at a restaurant. You would ask for a refund. Why should DAY6 be an exception and not be subject to criticism?
In the end, DAY6 is selling tickets and albums to people. Those people don’t need to be understanding if and when the group shows slack. They should be appropriately criticized to avoid making the same mistakes next time.
Even though I like DAY6, I think their performance at the 2024 Pentaport was truly the worst. Their pitch and sessions were off. And if this level of performance continues even after 10 years of debut, they should aim to remain a K-Pop idol rather than a solid K-Rock band. They ran out of breath so often, causing them to sing out of tune, and there were continuous session mistakes…
I hope they build a solid foundation through more performances. As someone who has listened to their songs so much to the point of being tired of them, it’s very disappointing and frustrating. This kind of performance a decade after debut is beyond the scope of understanding.
When “Congratulations” first came out, I really hoped for their growth. I hope that all the issues surfaced at Pentaport will be worked on for the future performances. And I hope fans will stop being overprotective. It’s one thing to accept mistakes. But blindly thinking they’re the best even when they’re not is what leads to ruining their careers.
— @real_ordinary_girl/YouTube
I’m someone who genuinely hopes DAY6 will continue to do well more than anyone else. After their performance at Pentaport, my thoughts were, ‘Oh, they messed up again,’ and ‘Oh, this is the same setlist from before.’ No matter how much of a break they had, they’re a decade-old band, and it’s hard to understand why fans have to go around explaining and saying, ‘Please excuse them, they’re still growing.’ I also wonder if it’s even appropriate to think, ‘It’s okay to make mistakes since they’re cute and sexy,’ in this situation.
As a fan who has attended every performance since their reunion, except for the college festivals, there came a point when I started to feel that it was a waste of money. I didn’t just go to see their faces. Some might say, ‘You can just choose not to go,’ but I kept attending, always hoping that things would be different each time. Seeing them like this even at Pentaport is very disappointing, and it hurts more because I know they’re capable of doing better.
I think the repetitive setlist, subpar performances, and lack of live skills are all due to a lack of practice. I hope fans don’t take such opinions as negative comments but instead see them as an opportunity to determine what direction they should take. I want to keep supporting DAY6 and enjoy their music for a long time. Even though the members must be busy and all, I hope they will try to put in the effort.
— @user-x2w2k/YouTube
Leaving aside the setlist and everything else, I was very shocked and upset to see so many mistakes in the lyrics, instrumentals, and pitch. I was in the front of the crowd, and while everyone still enjoyed the show, I felt the atmosphere getting awkward every time there was a mistake. People around me were starting to ask, ‘What’s going on?’ I’m a fan who has been concerned about this since the lineup was announced, and seeing my worries come true is very sad. Despite that, I thought they’d be well-prepared for their first Pentaport performance since it’s a big deal. I hoped it would be different from the college festivals since the set is longer and it’s a ‘rock festival.’ I waited from the day before until the morning of the performance in the scorching sun, and I’m sure there must have been many MyDays like me. TBH, even though I’m a huge fan and I have so much affection for the members, this performance felt like just another event on the schedule with no understanding of what Pentaport wants. There was no consideration for the fans. I was honestly more disappointed than I was excited.
I hoped for a performance that showcased the maximum potential of DAY6… But I believe the members know better than anyone how the fans felt. There’s no doubt that they will bring something different in their next performance and next album. Hwaiting.
— @d.ddablue4ever/YouTube
Watch the performance in question here:
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